Society

Rain-triggered mudslides hold up 7,000 vehicles

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-07-04 06:16

BEIJING - Rain-triggered mud-and-rock slides damaged several highways in Wenchuan county, Sichuan province, holding up around 7,000 motor vehicles in the area, the local traffic police said Sunday.

Rainstorms have pelted many places in Sichuan since Saturday evening, with several areas recording 100 millimeters of precipitation.

The continuous rains have caused mud-and-rock slides, cave-ins, and change of river courses in Wenchuan county, according to traffic police of Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture.

The national highway 213 and provincial highway 303 were cut off at a number of sections in Wenchuan. A 100-plus meters section of the roadbed of the national highway 213 in Yinxin township was destroyed, according to traffic police.

The traffic police said they were put on traffic control at a number of road spots and relevant departments were going all out to repair the roads.

As the rain was continuing, the police said they had no idea when the traffic would become normal.